The Golden Glove award for the goalkeeper with the most number of clean sheets was only introduced at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa.
Before that, from the 1994 event until 2006, the best goalkeeper of the tournament was awarded the Lev Yashin Award, named after the legendary Russian goalkeeper.
The only individual recognition for goalkeepers prior to the 1994 event, came in the form of being named in the All-Star team of the tournament.
Goalkeepers named in the All-Star Team of the Tournament
| World Cup | Hosts | Name | Nationality |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Enrique Ballestrero | Uruguay |
| 1934 | Italy | Ricardo Zamora | Spain |
| 1938 | France | František Plánička | Czechoslovakia |
| 1950 | Brazil | Roque Máspoli | Uruguay |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Gyula Grosics | Hungary |
| 1958 | Sweden | Harry Gregg | Northern Ireland |
| 1962 | Chile | Viliam Schrojf | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | Gordon Banks | England |
| 1970 | Mexico | Ladislao Mazurkiewicz | Uruguay |
| 1974 | West Germany | Sepp Maier | West Germany |
| 1978 | Argentina | Ubaldo Fillol | Argentina |
| 1982 | Spain | Dino Zoff | Italy |
| 1986 | Mexico | Jean-Marie Pfaff | Belgium |
| 1990 | Italy | Luis Gabelo Conejo | Costa Rica |
| 1990 | Italy | Sergio Goycochea | Argentina |
Lev Yashin Award Winners
| World Cup | Hosts | Name | Nationality |
| 1994 | United States | Michel Preud'homme | Belgium |
| 1998 | France | Fabien Barthez | France |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | Oliver Kahn | Germany |
| 2006 | Germany | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy |
Golden Glove Winners
| World Cup | Hosts | Name | Nationality |
| 2010 | South Africa | Iker Casillas | Spain |
| 2014 | Brazil | Manuel Neuer | Germany |
